Gambling Act 2005:
Review
7. What progress she has made on her review of the Gambling Act
2005. (904870)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Digital, Culture,
Media and Sport
Happy new year, Mr Speaker. The Gambling Act review is a priority
for the Department. We are currently working very carefully
through the evidence, including the 16,000 submissions that we
received. Our intention is to find ways of introducing reforms to
prevent the serious harm caused by gambling addiction while
allowing those who can bet safely to do so, and we will publish a
White Paper setting out our plans in the very near future.
With gambling firms grooming and sucking vulnerable people into a
web of debt and despair, it is crucial that the Government outlaw
their exploitative practices as soon as possible. As for their
victims, will the Minister commit to talk to Ministers in the
Department of Health and Social Care so that, alongside his
strategy, a comprehensive public health strategy is generated to
provide support for people who have experienced gambling harm and
to protect people from being sucked into that place?
I agree with the hon. Lady. There are some extremely troubling
practices, particularly among online gambling firms, that, as she
says, lead people down a path to a very dark place that sometimes
leads to suicide. I have met many of the families whose sons,
daughters, husbands or wives have tragically committed suicide as
a result of gambling addiction.
On co-operating with DHSC, I have already met my colleague the
Health Minister to discuss this issue and will be meeting her
again on this topic. I have also met NHS clinicians such as Dr
Matt Gaskell, who runs the Northern Gambling Clinic in Leeds, to
discuss these issues. I have received his very interesting,
constructive and useful ideas, which are feeding directly into
the review.
While taking evidence from fans during the football review, I was
struck by their unprompted concern about the amount of
gambling-related content in football. I appreciate that the
Minister is new in his role, but could he tell the House whether
he or his predecessor have had a chance to meet football fans to
discuss their concerns ahead of publication of the review?
I thank my hon. Friend for her work in this area, and
particularly for her work on the fan-led review. As a fan of
Crystal Palace—a proud south London club—I am very keen to make
sure that football fans’ voices are heard. Next week, I am
meeting a number of sporting organisations, including the Lawn
Tennis Association, the England and Wales Cricket Board, the
Rugby Football League, the Football Association, the Football
League and England Golf. Following the conversation that my hon.
Friend and I had on the phone a day or two ago, I have already
asked my office to arrange a meeting with the Football Supporters
Association, which I hope will happen in the coming days or
weeks.
I welcome the Minister’s commitment to the changes that we all
wish to see, but does he believe that the review will result in a
strengthening of measures to prevent under-age gambling? When can
we expect to see the desperately needed changes come before the
House?
Yes, I expect that we will see a strengthening of age-related
measures and, indeed, a strengthening of measures more widely,
for the reasons that we have mentioned already. Because it is
urgent, as the hon. Member says, we intend to publish the White
Paper as soon as possible in the coming months.
